Simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric, and method for making the same

ABSTRACT

A warp-knit fabric is given a simulated weave appearance by chain stitching one set of warp yarns into wale-wise pillars and looping a portion of each chain stitch in a course wise direction from its pillar, over and around a chain stitch of another pillar in the same course, and back again to its pillar, thus producing &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;weft&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; portions in the chain stitch warp yarns. A second set of warp yarns are alternately overlaid and underlaid walewise of the weft portions to produce the simulated weave. The &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;weft&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; yarns and chain stitch yarns are one and the same and carried on a single guide bar. The chain stitch yarn forms chain stitches only on one pillar, or wale, and is carried course-wise to wrap around another chain stitch in another pillar, rather than forming a conventional chain stitch therein.

PATENTEDJUL 1 1 m2 SHEET 10F 3 l W MW ATTORNEYS GEORGE E JACKSON W*Plwon If I I I, I l

PATENTED'JUL 1 1 i972 SHEET 2 a; 3

INVENTOR, GEO RGE E. JACKSON Fig.16.

Fig. 15.

ATTORNEYS P'A'TE'NTEDJUL 1 1 m2 SHEET 3 BF 3 2 4 2 3 m M O 4 O 3INVENTOR. GEORGE E. JACKSON mm "W P ATTORNEYS SIMULATED-WEAVE, WARP-KNITFABRIC, AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Warpknitting machines have long been known to produce warp knit fabric at ahigh rate of production compared to weft knitting machines and comparedto automatic powered weaving looms. Such warp knitting machines have awarp yarn for each needle and produce the knitted fabric structure athigh speed without the delay required by the travel of a fillingshuttle, or weft carriage, across the fabricv There have been numerousproposals in the prior art for obtaining the interwoven pattern producedby a relatively slow moving loom in fabric produced at high speed on awarp knitting machine.

One proposal has been to attempt to present successive course-wiseextending filling strands into the needle bar of a warp knitting machinefor inclusion in the knitted structure, in some cases the filling beingfull width and in other cases the filling being short sections only.

Another proposal has been to provide a single needle bar warp knittingmachine with four guide bars, one for a chain stitch yarn, two for warpyarns, and the fourth guide bar for a warp yarn designated as a "weft"yarn. This proposal is exemplified by the Co-We-Nit process of KarlMayer Co., Offenbach, Gen, which process forms course-wise extendingweft loops in the separate weft yarns, the weft loops being pushed belowthe open latches of the needles by a chopper bar or fall plate. The warpyarns are alternately overlayed walewise on two weft portions and thenunderlayed relative to the next two weft portions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention avoids the delays andcomplicated feed mechanisms of the methods in which weft yarn isinserted into the warp knit fabric Instead, the method of the inventionis high speed and uses a simulated weft portion of a warp yarn. Unlikethe Co-We-Nit process, the method eliminates the need for a separatewarp yarn, designated as a weft yarn, and eliminates the extra guide barrequired thereby. In this invention, it is possible to obtain asimulated weave, warp knit fabric using only two guide bars per needle,one set of guide bars carrying chain stitch yarns and the other setcarrying warp yarns. Obviously, if additional warp yarns are desired fordecorative, or other, purpose, a third set of guide bars may beprovided, or additional sets, where necessary or desirable.

In place of a separate weft yarn and guide bar, in this invention thechain stitch yarns and guide bars are used to produce horizontal, orcourse-wise extending, wefts to contrast with the wale-wise extendingwarp yarns for producing a simulated weave pattern. Thus, at each coursethe chain stitch yarns are looped sidewise from one pillar course-wiseover and around a chain stitch in another pillar, in the same course,and then back again to the said one pillar, to not only serve as theweft of the weave, but also as the body yarn of the knitted structure,the course-wise extending connecting yarns of the fabric and to anchorthe chain stitch yarn against further splitting in the event of a break.

The method of the invention includes the provision of only two sets ofguide bars, a double guide bar stroke for each needle bar stroke andpatterning the warp knitting machine to wrap the chain stitch yarnaround one needle in one guide bar stroke, around another needle in thesecond guide bar stroke of each cycle, and to then form a chain stitchin each course. The warp yarn guide bar is shifted first to the rightand then to the left, in different courses, to overlay and then underlaythe weft portions, or loops, wale-wise of the fabric to produce thesimulated weave pattern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showinghow the chain stitch yarns are looped around adjacent chain stitches inthe same course to produce a weft loop in each pillar;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the warp yarns laid inwale-wise to overlay and underlay the welts and produce asimulated-weave, warp-knit fabric;

FIGS. 3-7 are enlarged diagrammatic elevations showing the course-wiselooping of the chain stitch yarns without showing the warp yarns;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the chain stitch wefis of the inventionin pattern notation form;

FIGS. 9-22 are views similar to FIGS. 3-7 showing the warp yarns inlaidwale-wise of the fabric.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, 20 represents aportion of a warp knitting machine of well known type, having at leastone needle bar 21 and at least two sets of guide bars 22 and 23, (FIGS.9-22) and suitable powered actuation and patterning mechanism to causethe guide bars to oscillate through two full strokes for each singlestroke of the needle bar. Machine 20 may include chopper bar, or fallplate mechanism, but preferably includes mechanism for raising theneedles, 24, of needle bar 2], to higher than conventional level,whereby yarn loops wrapped around the opened latches 25 of needles 24are slid downwardly onto the shanks 26 of the needles. Machine 20 alsoincludes conventional pattern chain mechanism, not shown, for shiftingthe guide bars to the right or left in parallelism with the needle bars.The needles are reciprocable in trick plate 27.

A plurality of chain stitch yarns, such as 30, 31, 32 and 33, aresupplied from a conventional warp beam, or otherwise, to the guide bars34 of the first set of guide bars 22 and threaded in the eyes 35thereof.

A plurality of warp yarns, such as 40, 41, 42 and 46 are supplied fromanother conventional warp beam, or otherwise, to the guide bars 43 ofthe second set of guide bars 23 and threaded in the eyes 44 thereof,(FIGS. 8-22 It will be noted that no separate, or extra, warp yarn isrequired for producing the wefts of this invention, as in the abovenoted Co-We-Nit process, and the extra guide bar therefor is alsoeliminated. However, additional warp yarns and guide bars may be used toincrease the decorative values of the simulated weave pattern.

In FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 to 7, all warp yarns are eliminated from the viewsfor clarity and to show the chain stitch yarn motions alone.

As shown in FIG. 3, the knitting cycle, which is repeated by the machine20, starts with the needles 24 at their lowermost level, within thetrick plate 27 of needle bar 2], in cast off" position. A Wale-wiseextending pillar 36 or 37 of chain stitches 38 depends from each needle,each stitch 38 having been drawn through a preceding stitch 39 of thesame chain stitch yarnv In FIG. 4, the needles 24 have been raised toconventional upper position, indicated by line 45, with latches 25 open,Guide bar set 22 has been oscillated to the front of the needles andthen to the back thereof, in the first full oscillatory stroke of thecycle, while also being shifted one needle space to the right to loopthe chain stitch yarns 30, 31, 32 and 33 around adjacent needles as at50, 51, 52 and 53 in one angular direction.

In FIG. 5, the needles 24 have been raised to a high rise" level,indicated by the line 54, the guide bar set 22 has been oscillated againto the front of the needles and back again and has been shifted oneneedle space to the left to loop the chain stitch yams 30, 31, 32 and 33around the needles 24 in the opposite angular direction from the loopson the adjacent needles.

The raising of the needles to the level 54 has caused the weft loops 50,SI, 52 and S3 to slide downwardly below the opened latches 25 onto theshanks 26, so that they will not be caught in the hooks of the needleswhen the needles descent to cast off. The course-wise, extending loops,or wefts 50, SI, 52 and 53, may also be lowered onto the shanks by achopper bar, or

fall plate, if desired, as in the Co-We-Nit process, although theraising of the needle bar is preferred.

In FIG. 6, the chain stitch yarns, having been looped sidewise, orcourse-wise, to form the wefts 50, 51, 52 and 53, and then back again,are being pulled downwardly in the hooks of the needles on their way tocast oh, and in FIG, 7 the chain stitch loops 38 have been pulledthrough the previous loops 39 in the same strands, to form the pillars36 and 37.

The loop path of the chain stitch yarns is shown schemati cally in FIG.8 to illustrate the motions of the guide bars 22 in connecting thepillars into a coherent fabric 59 by means of the weft loops 50, 51, 52and 53, extending horizontally from a chain stitch in one course to achain stitch in the same course, whether juxtaposed, or separated byseveral needle spaces, if desired.

In Fig. 2 and FIGS. 9 to 13, the chain stitch motions are identical withthose illustrated in FIGS. 37, but the laying in vertically, Wale-wiseor warp-wise, of the warp yarns into the fabric is also shown.

In FIG. 9, the warp yarns 40, 4i and 42 are threaded in the eyes 44 ofguide bars 43 of second set 23 and pass in rear of the legs 48 and 55 ofeach course-wise extending weft loop 50, Si, 52 and 53. In FIG. 10 thenext successive weft loop is being formed around adjacent needles withthe warp yarns held in front of the legs 48 and 55 of the weft loops, sothat the warp yarns will be overlaid thereon.

FIGS, ll, 12 and 13 show the completion of the two strokes of the guidebars to complete the chain stitches 38 of the course, as in FIGS. 3-7.The remaining FIGS. 14-22, show successive cycles of the knittingprocess, following the same general sequence of operations, or motions,but especially showing that the warp yarns, having been overlaid on thewefts in one cycle, as in FIGS. ll-l3, are underlaid relative to thewefts, in the next cycle, as in FIGS. 15-17, and then overlaid again inthe next cycle, as in FIGS. 19-22.

The second set of guide bars, 23, for the warp yarns 40, 41 and 42, whenon one side of the set of chain stitch guide bars 22, for example, tothe right thereof, will be overlaid by the wefts while when the warpyarn guide bars are shifted to the other side of the chain stitch guidebars, to the left thereof, the warp yarns will be underlaid.

It will he understood that a woven appearance will be achieved by theunderlay and overlay of the warp yarns relative to the weft loops of thechain stitch yarns, even if both yarns are of the same denier and color,but that decorative simulated weave, warp knit patterns can be achievedby using yarns of contrasting color and/or contrasting thickness,material, or texture.

The courses of the fabric 59 of the invention are designated 60 and thewales are designated 61. The fabric 59, made from only two guide bars,may form a base for cut pile, loop pile, or scrim type fabrics whichresemble a plain weave. Fabric 59 is free of the conventionalcourse-wise, extending inlaid warp yarns, and is held together as afabric by the course-wise extending loops of the chain stitch yarns ofthe body, the latter yarns being chain stitched in one pillar only andnot transversely back and forth between pillars as in tricot knitting.

What is Claimed is:

l. The method of making a simulated weave pattern on a warp knittingmachine, which comprises the steps of:

supplying a set of chain stitch yarns to one set of guide bars andsupplying a set of warp yarns to another set of guide bars of saidmachine;

knitting said chain stitch yarns into a plurality of Wale-wise extendingpillars, while guiding a portion of the yarn of each chain stitch in acourse-wise direction, to extend from one said pillar in a loop aroundthe chain stitch of another chain stitch yarn in another pillar in thesame course and then back to said one pillar thereby connecting saidpillars into a warp knit fabric;

said course-wise extending loops of said chain stitch yarns creating aweft-like appearance;

and alternately overlaying and underlaying said warp yarns Wale-wiserelative to said course-wise extending chain stitch yarn loops, inparallelism with, and between, said chain stitch pillars to create awarp-like appearance in said simulated-weave pattern.

2. A method as specified in claim I, wherein:

said step of looping a portion of the yarn of each chain stitch around achain stitch of another nearby chain stitch yarn includes the step oflooping said chain stitch yarn around a chain stitch in anotherjuxtaposed pillar in the same course.

3 A method as specified in claim 1, wherein:

each chain stitch of each pillar is drawn through a preceding chainstitch of the same chain stitch yarn in the same pillar after the saidyarn has been looped around and ad jacent chain stitch in an adjacentwale, or pillar.

4. A method for making simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric on a warpknitting machine having one set of guide bars threaded with chain stitchyarns, and another set of guide bars threaded with warp yarns, saidmethod comprising the steps of:

guiding said one set ofguide bars to form a plurality of chain stitchpillars, each chain stitch in each course being drawn through a chainstitch of the same yarn in the next course; shifting said chain stitchguide bars in each said course to wrap each chain stitch yarn around thechain stitch of another of another chain stitch yarn of another wale orpillar in the same course to create a course-wise extending weft"section of chain stitch yarn in each course; and

shifting said set of warp yarn guide bars to inlay said yarns wale-wiseof said fabric, and to overlie and underlie said weft sections indifferent courses to produce said simulated weave fabric.

5. The method of making a simulated-weave, warp-knitted fabric, whichcomprises the steps of:

warp-knitting a plurality of Wale-wise extending chain stitch pillarsfrom chain stitch yarns;

connecting said chain stitch pillars into a fabric by wrapping a sectionof each successive chain stitch in each pillar side-wise around a chainstitch of another chain stitch yarn in another pillar in the samecourses and then back to the said pillar, and

alternately overlaying and underlaying at least one set of warp yarnswale-wise into said warp-knit fabric, to create a warp appearance inassociation with the weft ap pearance of said side-wise extending wraps.

6. A method for making a simulated-weave, warp-knitted fabric on a warpknitting machine having mechanism for vertically reciprocating a needlebar, for oscillating a set of at least two guide bars, and for shiftingeach said guide bar independently of the other, said method comprisingthe steps of:

supplying a warp yarn to each guide bar of one said set and supplying achain stitch yarn to each guide bar of the other said set;

oscillating said guide bars two full strokes and reciprocating saidneedle bar one full stroke in each cycle of said machine; during thefirst full stroke of each said cycle, guiding each said chain stitchguide bar from proximate one needle, side-wise in one direction at leastone needle space, to wrap around another needle in one angulardirection;

during the second full stroke of each said cycle guiding each said chainstitch guide bar side-wise in the opposite direction, at least oneneedle space to wrap around said one needle in the opposite angulardirection;

during each said cycle lowering said wraps on said other needles belowthe opened latches thereof onto the shanks thereof and drawing the wrapson said one needles down through previous loops of the same yarns toform a chain stitch therein; and

during each said cycle guiding said warp yarn guide bars to alternatelyoverlay and underlay said warp yarns walewise relative to said side-wiseextending portions of said chain stitch yarns to produce a wovenappearance therein.

7. The method of warp knitting a simulated weave pattern on a warpknitting machine having a set of chain stitch yarn guide bars and a setof warp yarn guide bars, said method comprising the steps of:

guiding said chain stitch guide bars through chain stitch motions toform chain stitch wales, with a chain stitch of the same yarn in eachcourse, while also guiding said guide bars to loop the said yarn of eachchain stitch from the wale thereof course-wise in a wrap around thechain stitch of an adjacent wale in the same course and then back againto the said wale, thereby producing a weft portion of each chain stitch;and

guiding said warp yarn guide bars to underlay and overlay said warpyarns. wale-wise, of said weft portions of said chain stitch yarns toconstitute the warp" portion of said simulated weave:

8. A simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric, said fabric comprising:

a plurality of chain stitch yarns warp knitted to form a plurality ofwale-wise extending chain stitch pillars, said pillars being connectedinto a fabric by integral portions of each said chain stitch yarn loopedcourse-wise from one said pillar and wrapped around a chain stitch ofanother pillar in the same course and then back again to the said onepillar; and plurality of warp yarns. laid wale-wise into said warpknitted fabric, in the spaces between said pillars, each said warp yarnalternately overlaying and underlaying the course-wise extending loopsof said chain stitch yarns to produce a simulated-weave pattern:

9. A simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric as specified in claim 8, wherein:

each said course-wise extending loop of said chain stitch yarns iswrapped around a chain stitch of one of the next adjacent pillars in thesame course.

10. A simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric as specified in claim 8,wherein:

all of the chain stitches in each said chain stitch yarn are drawnthrough preceding loops in the same said yarn, and all of thecourse-wise extending loops of each said chain stitch yarn are wrappedaround chain stitches of another yarn in the same course ofa nextadjacent wale, or pillar.

11. A simulated-weave, warpknit fabric as specified in claim 8, wherein:

said chain stitch yarns and said warp yarns are of contrasting colors inaccordance with a predetermined weave pattern.

12. A warp-knit fabric of wales and courses defining a predeterminedsimulated weave pattern and formed of at least two sets of warp yarns ofcontrasting appearance;

the warp yarns of one set forming chain stitch wales, connected into afabric, by loops of each chain stitch each loop extending course-wisefrom one wale to wrap around a chain stitch ofa yarn in an adjacent waleand then back again to said one wale; and

the warp yarns of the other set being alternately overlayed andunderlayed walewise in said fabric to produce a contrastingsimulated-weave pattern.

13. A warp-knit fabric having a plurality of chain stitch pillars. eachchain stitch thereof having a weft loop extending course-wise from thepillar thereof and wrapped on a chain stitch of an adjacent pillar inthe same course and then back to the said pillar thereof, and having aplurality of warp yarns. each alternately overlaid and underlaidwale-wise in a space between juxtaposed pillars to create asimulated-weave pattern in cooperation with said "weft" loops.

1. The method of making a simulated weave pattern on a warp knittingmachine, which comprises the steps of: supplying a set of chain stitchyarns to one set of guide bars and supplying a set of warp yarns toanother set of guide bars of said machine; knitting said chain stitchyarns into a plurality of wale-wise extending pillars, while guiding aportion of the yarn of each chain stitch in a course-wise direction, toextend from one said pillar in a loop around the chain stitch of anotherchain stitch yarn in another pillar in the same course and then back tosaid one pillar thereby connecting said pillars into a warp knit fabric;said course-wise extending loops of said chain stitch yarns creating aweft-like appearance; and alternately overlaying and underlaying saidwarp yarns walewise relative to said course-wise extending chain stitchyarn loops, in parallelism with, and between, said chain stitch pillarsto create a warp-like appearance in said simulatedweave pattern.
 2. Amethod as specified in claim 1, wherein: said step of looping a portionof the yarn of each chain stitch around a chain stitch of another nearbychain stitch yarn includes the step of looping said chain stitch yarnaround a chain stitch in another juxtaposed pillar in the same course.3. A method as specified in claim 1, wherein: each chain stitch of eachpillar is drawn through a preceding chain stitch of the same chainstitch yarn in the same pillar after the said yarn has been loopedaround and adjacent chain stitch in an adjacent wale, or pillar.
 4. Amethod for making simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric on a warp knittingmachine having one set of guide bars threaded with chain stitch yarns,and another set of guide bars threaded with warp yarns, said methodcomprising the steps of: guiding said one set of guide bars to form aplurality of chain stitch pillars, each chain stitch in each coursebeing drawn through a chain stitch of the same yarn in the next course;shifting said chain stitch guide bars in each said course to wrap eachchain stitch yarn around the chain stitch of another of another chainstitch yarn of another wale or pillar in the same course to create acourse-wise extending ''''weft'''' section of chain stitch yarn in eachcourse; and shifting said set of warp yarn guide bars to inlay saidyarns wale-wise of said fabric, and to overlie and underlie said weftsections in different courses to produce said simulated weave fabric. 5.The method of making a simulated-weave, warp-knitted fabric, whichcomprises the steps of: warp-knitting a plurality of wale-wise extendingchain stitch pillars from chain stitch yarns; connecting said chainstitch pillars into a fabric by wrapping a section of each successivechain stitch in each pillar side-wise around a chain stitch of anotherchain stitch yarn in another pillar in the same courses and then back tothe said pillar, and alternately overlaying and underlaying at least oneset of warp yarns wale-wise into said warp-knit fabric, to create a warpappearance in association with the weft appearance of said side-wiseextending wraps.
 6. A method for making a simulated-weave, warp-knittedfabric on a warp knitting machine having mechanism for verticallyreciprocating a needle bar, for oscillating a set of at least two guidebars, and for shifting each said guide bar independently of the other,said method comprising the steps of: supplying a warp yarn to each guidebar of one said set and supplying a chain stitch yarn to each guide barof the other said set; oscillating said guide bars two full strokes andreciprocating said needle bar one full stroke in each cycle of saidmachine; during the first full stroke of each said cycle, guiding eachsaid chain stitch guide bar from proximate one needle, side-wise in onedirection at least one needle space, to wrap around another needle inone angular direction; during the second full stroke of each said cycleguiding each said chain stitch guide bar side-wise in the oppositedirection, at least one needle space to wrap around said one needle inthe opposite angular direction; during each said cycle lowering saidwraps on said other needles below the opened latches thereof onto theshanks thereof and drawing the wraps on said one needles down throughprevious loops of the same yarns to form a chain stitch therein; andduring each said cycle guiding said warp yarn guide bars to alternatelyoverlay and underlay said warp yarns wale-wise relative to saidside-wise extending portions of said chain stitch yarns to produce awoven appearance therein.
 7. The method of warp knitting a simulatedweave pattern on a warp knitting machine having a set of chain stitchyarn guide bars and a set of warp yarn guide bars, said methodcomprising the steps of: guiding said chain stitch guide bars throughchain stitch motions to form chain stitch wales, with a chain stitch ofthe same yarn in each course, while also guiding said guide bars to loopthe said yarn of each chain stitch from the wale thereof course-wise ina wrap around the chain stitch of an adjacent wale in the same courseand then back again to the said wale, thereby producing a ''''weft''''portion of each chain stitch; and guiding said warp yarn guide bars tounderlay and overlay said warp yarns, wale-wise, of said weft portionsof said chain stitch yarns to constitute the ''''warp'''' portion ofsaid simulated weave.
 8. A simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric, saidfabric comprising: a plurality of chain stitch yarns warp knitted toform a plurality of wale-wise extending chain stitch pillars, saidpillars being connected into a fabric by integral portions of each saidchain stitch yarn looped course-wise from one said pillar and wrappedaround a chain stitch of another pillar in the same course and then backagain to the said one pillar; and a plurality of warp yarns, laidwale-wise into said warp knitted fabric, in the spaces between saidpillars, each said warp yarn alternately overlaying and underlaying thecourse-wise extending loops of said chain stitch yarns to produce asimulated-weave pattern.
 9. A simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric asspecified in claim 8, wherein: each said course-wise extending loop ofsaid chain stitch yarns is wrapped around a chain stitch of one of thenext adjacent pillars in the same course.
 10. A simulated-weave,warp-knit fabric as specified in claim 8, wherein: all of the chainstitches in each said chain stitch yarn are drawn through precedingloops in the same said yarn, and all of the course-wise extending loopsof each said chain stitch yarn are wrapped around chain stitches ofanother yarn in the same course of a next adjacent wale, or pillar. 11.A simulated-weave, warp-knit fabric as specified in claim 8, wherein:said chain stitch yarns and said warp yarns are of contrasting colors inaccordance with a predetermined weave pattern.
 12. A warp-knit fabric ofwales and courses defining a predetermined simulated weave patteRn andformed of at least two sets of warp yarns of contrasting appearance; thewarp yarns of one set forming chain stitch wales, connected into afabric, by loops of each chain stitch each loop extending course-wisefrom one wale to wrap around a chain stitch of a yarn in an adjacentwale and then back again to said one wale; and the warp yarns of theother set being alternately overlayed and underlayed wale-wise in saidfabric to produce a contrasting simulated-weave pattern.
 13. A warp-knitfabric having a plurality of chain stitch pillars, each chain stitchthereof having a ''''weft'''' loop extending course-wise from the pillarthereof and wrapped on a chain stitch of an adjacent pillar in the samecourse and then back to the said pillar thereof, and having a pluralityof warp yarns, each alternately overlaid and underlaid wale-wise in aspace between juxtaposed pillars to create a simulated-weave pattern incooperation with said ''''weft'''' loops.